“Winning isn’t everything,” we’ve all famously heard a million times. “It’s the only thing.”
That quote, widely misattributed to Vince Lombardi, actually first came from the mouth of UCLA football coach Red Sanders. His quote circulated in several outlets, including the December 26, 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated before the Bruins played Michigan State in the 1956 Rose Bowl.
That was barely a year into Sports Illustrated’s history, a time when the headlines were ruled by men like Willie Mays, Ted Williams and Rocky Marciano. But for many, that quote has never been more true.